Elissa Campbell, a consultant geriatrician at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital is the inaugural recipient of the WA Department of Health Churchill Fellowship.
The Fellowship sponsored by the Department has been established to support sustainability of health care in Western Australia.
Elissa gained the fellowship to explore models of palliative care for people living with, and dying from, dementia.
People dying from dementia commonly experience symptoms such as pain, agitation, swallowing problems and shortness of breath. This often follows years of decline in physical function and cognition. In addition, loved ones often experience physical and emotional strain. These symptoms may all be addressed by palliative care.
Models of care that improve access to palliative care will benefit thousands of Australians with dementia and their loved ones.
To conduct her research, Elissa will travel abroad to network with clinicians in New Zealand, US, UK, Netherlands and Singapore when international borders reopen.
Congratulations also to Sarah Joyce and Carol Kaplanian who were successful in gaining other Churchill Fellowships.
Sarah Joyce, Project Director at the Department of Health who gained a Churchill Fellowship to explore how health systems can innovate to reduce their environmental footprint. Sarah will travel to Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands and Switzerland.
Carol Kaplanian, Women's Health Coordinator from the Women and Newborn Health service who will undertake her Fellowship to understand the perspectives of migrant and refugee women who have experienced family violence. Carol will be travelling to the UK, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Canada and New Zealand.
